Pears; to ripen

The ripeness of pears can be hard to judge, as it has to be remembered that they ripen from the core. So once soft on the outside, are probably overripe.

To test their ripeness, it's best to gently squeeze the area close to the stalk, and if this is a little soft, they are ripe. If this area is still hard, put the pears in a bag (paper or plastic, and the natural ethylene gas they give off will accelerate their ripening.